Egbert meek



(No Model.)

B. MEEK.

ELECTRIC CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY RAILS. No. 303,537.

Patented Aug. 12, 1884.

W. R @m "A m e I M M w w my w NITED STATES ROBERT MEEK, OF LOUISVILLE,KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC RAILWVAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OFSAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CONNECTION FOR RAILWAY-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,537, dated August12, 1884.

Application filed February 18, 1884.

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, ROBERT MEEK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricConnections for Railway-Rails, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to means for electrically connecting the adjacentends of rails in a line of railway-track, the object being to form ofthe rails and connections a continuous'line of conductors for electriccurrents used for operating signals or other purposes.

My invention consists in a connecting-spring of novel construction, andin the combinationtherewith of means for supporting it in contact withthe rails, all as will be fully understood from the following particulardescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a perspective View of a rail-connecting spring constructedaccording to my invention, and adapted for application to a joint wheretwo rails meet on a crosstie, or what is commonly known as a solidjoint. Fig. 2 is anedge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof a spring of modified construction, adapted for application at thejoint of two rails meeting between two crossties, or a suspended joint.Fig. 4 is aside elevation of portions of two adjacent railshaving theirends electrically connected by a spring, such as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a crosssection on line a: w of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation ofportions of two rails connected by a spring of the form shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 7 shows a section of the spring in the plane indicated by line y yin Fig. 6, and a view in elevation of the clamp and the end of a rail.Fig. Sis a perspective view of the clamp used for supporting the springin contact with the rails at a suspended joint.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the letter A designates arail-connecting spring, consisting of an elastic bar of steel having anintermediate straight portion, b, while its end portions, 0 c, are bothbowed or arched in the same direction, and have their tips (I (2extended (No model.)

above the upper surface of the part b. flhis part b is intended to lieacross and preferably let in flush with the surface of a tie, under theends of two rails meeting on said tie, as shown in Fig. 4, in which Eindicates the tie, and R R the rails, and when in this position the tips(2 d of the two bowed end portions strike the bottoms of the rails,respectively, on opposite sides of the tie, and said end portions areflexed downward, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, by theweight of the rails, being thus put under a tension which causes theirtips to bear with great force against the bottoms of the rails andmaintain a good electrical -contact therewith. By the vibration of therails under the weight of passing cars the bowed portions 0 c are causedalso to have a tremulous vibratory motion, which produces a scraping oftheir tipsagainst the bottoms of the rails, with the result of keepingclean and bright those areas of the railbottoms against which said tipsimpinge, so

that a reliable electrical connection always subsists between the tworails and their connecting spring. The spring is preferably aboutthree-sixteenths to three fourths of an inch thick and, say, an inch anda half to two inches wide, with rounded tips, though its tips may benotched or made straight, it desired.

While I prefer to make the spring of steel, on account of its highresilience, I of course do not confine myself to steel, as it is obviousthat I might use iron or brass, or any other material having suitableresilience and electrical conductivity. If desired, the spring may besecured to the tie by means of screws or nails driven through suitableholes, as shown atff; but when it is let in flushwith the surface of thetie the walls of the, groove or mortise in which it is laid will prevent'it from shifting laterally, and the downwardlybowed portions will serveas stops, which prevent its endwise movement by striking the tie.

In order to prevent the rail from breaking contact with the spring bybounding upward, or on account of lateral shifting, Iuse at each end ofthe straight portion of the spring a clamp, K--such as shown in Fig.5-theintermediate portions of said clamps lying under the spring, whiletheir hooks k 70 take over the edges of the rail-flanges.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3, 6, and 7, I usually make thespring A somewhat shorter than when in the form shown in Fig. 1, andinstead of having an intermediate straight portion its intermediateportion, 9, is bowed reversely to its end portions, h h, its tips iinormally projecting above the tops of the part 9. This connectingspringis intended, as be fore stated, to be applied for electricallyconnecting two rails at a suspended joint, and the manner of itsapplication, is illustrated in Figs.

6 and 7. In these figures it will be seen that the spring is held tocontact with the rails by means of a clamp, K, which is simply ashortand stout bar of iron, somewhat curved, and having its ends bent toforms hooks e c,whic-h take over the flanges of the rails at the joint,as shown. The intermediate portion of the clamp lies under and directlysupports the bowed portion 9 of the spring. while itis itself supportedby the engagement of the hooks with the rail-flanges.

In applying the form of spring shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the clamp is tohe slipped upon the flanges of one of the rails before the next adjacentrail is brought into line, and the spring is then inserted endwisebetween the clamp and rail, bringing the concave surface of its bowedportion 9 upon the clamp. In order to so insert the spring,it must bepassed obliquely u n der the rail, and when the bowed portion g reachesthe clamp and one tip impinges against the bottom of the rail the othertip will project above the level of the bottom of the rail, as shown indotted lines, Fig. 6. N ow, supposing rail It to have been first placedin position and the clamp and spring arranged as explained, thefollowing rail R is laid upon the upwardly-projecting tip of the spring,and by its weight forces said tip downward, so that the ends of the lastrail will come in line with the other, and may be brought properly up tothe same. The entire spring, it will be seen, is thus placed under atension, which causes both of its tips to press strongly against thebottoms of the two rails, and the vibratory motion of the railsunderpassing cars will cause said tips to keep the contact areas of therailbottoms clean and bright-the same as the tips of the spring firstdescribed. WVhen both rails have been secured in position, the clamp maybe d rivcn along, carrying the spring with it, un-

flanges, or those portions of said plates which are bent outward and lieflat upon the railflanges.

It will be readily understood that when aseries of rails are connectedby springs, such as described, said rails and springs will form acontinuous line of conductors, which may be connected in any suitablemanner for conveying electrical currents to operate signals, or for anyother desired purpose.

I do not, of course, confine myself to the pre cise construction shownin my drawings, but may vary the same in any manner for better carryingout my invention without departing from the essential principle thereof.

I am aware that bowed springs have been used for bridging rail-joints,said springs being applied to the vertical sides of the rails behind thefish-plates, and I do not claim such springs or their combination withthe rails and fish-plates, as stated.

"What I claim is- 1. A railway-rail electric connection consisting of ametallic bar having elastic tips bent in the same direction beyond anintermediate portion, adapted to rest upon a suitable sup port,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with two adjacent railway-rails, of a connectingdevice consisting of a metallic spring-bar arranged below the railjoint,and havi ng its tips bent into contact with 0 I the bottoms of therails, respectively, and an intermediate support beyond which the bentportions of the bar extend in opposite directions, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with two endwise-ad- 5 ROBERT MEEK.

\Vitnesses:

l. B. DABNEY, XV. L. LYONS.

IOO

